Driving self-propelled vehicles in a convoy generally requires a driver for each vehicle. As an alternative, so called platooning may be used. A platoon comprises a lead vehicle and at least one following vehicle. When the platoon moves, the lead vehicle controls the movement of the following vehicles by means of inter-vehicle communication. By using platooning the need to drive the following vehicles may be eliminated. Further, the distances between the vehicles of the platoon, i.e. the inter-vehicle distances, may be shortened as compared to distances between vehicles in normal traffic, thereby increasing transport capacity of for example a road. Short distances between vehicles of a platoon have also been proven to reduce air resistance, and thereby reduce fuel consumption.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,164 B1, by Farwell and Caldwell, discloses a system for remote control of self-propelled vehicles, especially vehicles in a convoy. The lead vehicle takes a succession of GPS coordinate positions along the way and broadcasts them to a following vehicle, so that it can traverse the same course as the lead vehicle.
Since the lead vehicle of the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,164 B1 sends the GPS coordinates of the waypoints it has passed, the control of the following vehicles is based on events in the past, though in the recent past.
There is a desire to be able to make the inter-vehicle distances even shorter than in existing platooning in order to increase the above-mentioned positive effects. There is therefore a desire for an improved control system for travelling in a platoon.